Don't Fall for "Top X Law Firms" in "Discipline Y", They Pay $Z to Get False Endorsement/s
It's a scheme, a scam, an elaborate fraud
We've already written about software patents right here for nearly 20 years. I personally wrote about this for over 20 years (also in my personal blog) and habitually mentioned that patent law firms see litigation as nothing but a business, it's never about justice to them (justice is an afterthought at best). I understood this when I was an undergraduate student and it bothered me a lot. It still bothers me and it ought to bother everybody (people are distracted by other, more immediate stuff or perceived, easily-visible danger).
About a decade ago we casually mentioned that many so-called 'IP' news sites or patent-focused/litigation-centric blogs were a bit like a cartel with their "ladder" sections and fake badges. Like the publishing cartel in academia (back room deals and circular funding), when it comes to law firms there are many marketing schemes disguised as "media". Sometimes the sites are run directly by law firms, but something more sinister goes on. Sometimes there is a veiled or barely-visible layer of indirection.
This is how the EPO, for example, established some domains as its go-to propaganda platforms, controlled by corrupt cocaine addicts, not journalists by any stretch of imagination.
One of the classic forms of propaganda/marketing is not unique to law firms; it goes something like this:
- Person establishes news site
- Person adds paywall to this news site
- Person reaches out to firms covered
- Person offers bulk subscription to all staff in said firm (a form of bribe for access)
- In exchange, the site then advertises for this firm (propaganda in "news" form, paid 'placements', advertising, and so-called "best of XYZ" listings/rankings)
- If any outsider asks, there's no "money" involved; they are just paid by "subscribers" (bribes), so move along, nothing to see here!
A variant of this has a "don't criticise list" (for sponsors).
In the area of patent law, Managing IP does it, IAM 'magazine' does it, JUVE does this all the time (they take bribes in other forms as well).
This generally means that "best of XYZ" (e.g. "best patent law firms in Germany") is little but corruption or veiled advertising that misleads people by failing to disclose the sleazy business model.
Once paid (it's like part of the "marketing budget"), they will plaster silly images in their Web site/s, E-mails etc. That gives a false impression of prestige or reputation (even where none exist).
Media or publishers that engage in such practices need to be shunned. They're just marketing companies with "content". █